Miner s safety-box



(No Model.)

J. HARGAVES.

MINERS SAFETY BOX.

No. 368,471. Patented Aug. 16, 1887.

. close them.

UNTTEn STATEs PATENT @EETcE JOHN HARGRAVES, OF ST. CLAIR, PENNSYLVANIA.

MINERS SAFETY-=BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 368,471, dated August16, 1887.

Application filed February 5, 1887. Serial No. 926,698. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN IIARG'RAVES, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Clair, in the county of Schuylkill and State ofPennsylvania, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Miners SafetyBoxes, of which the following is a specification.

The invention is an improved device to enable miners to carry squibs,matehes,and torchpaper for the purpose of firing the blasts. Thetorch-paper is usually paper steeped or soaked in saltpeter, (sulphateof potash,) so that it will burn readily without flame, and will firethe squib and blast without igniting the gases accumulating within themines.

The invention consists in the construction and novel arrangement ofparts hereinafter described,pointed out in the appended claims, andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 representsa perspective view of the box, showing the top punched or knocked up insuch manner as to form a space on which to ignite the matches. Fig. 2represents a perspective vicwof the same with the top turned oft and toone side. Fig. 8 represents a central longitudinal section of thedevice,showing the compartments into which its interior is divided.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A designates the body of thedevice, preferably oval in cross-section and divided by the longitudinalpartition a and the transverse partitions a a into the chambers 13, G,and D, the first running the entire length of the box, and designed tocontain squibs, and the chambers O and D being respectively designed tocon tain matches and torch-paper.

The chamber B is open at the top but closed at the bottom by the partialpartition to. The chamber 0, which is designed to contain torchpaper, isopen at its lower end, which end is covered by the cap Z),the said capfitting upon the lower end of the device.

The chambers 13 and D are open at their upper ends, and the cap or cover(Z is used to The said cap fits over the upper end of the body A, andhas secured to each of its sides the downwardly-projecting straps E,having the pivotal pins 0 0 near their inner ends. The said straps slipoutward and inward in the guide-frames F, which are securedlongitudinally to the sides of the body of the box, and are providedwith the direetingslots ff in their outer sides, in which slots the pins0 eengage. The outer ends of the said slots are rounded, so that whenthe straps E are pulled out totheir farthest extent the pins 0 a willturn in the said rounded ends and will move the cap (7. to one side andfrom offthe body of the box. The upper ends of the guideframes are cutaway, as shown atf,and when the cap is moved off the body the arms Ewill rest upon these cutaway portions and support the cap, as shown inFig. 2. The top of the cap cl has the rows of elevations d punched uponit, which elevations make its exterior surface sullicicntly rough for amatch to light thereon.

It is evident from the foregoing description that the squibs, matches,and torch-paper can all be conveniently carried by the device, that thesquibs can be ignited by matches when there is no danger in so doing;but should explosive gases be present, the squibs and torchpaper will beused to fire the cartridge.

The box keeps the three articles separate from each other, and keepsthem dry and in condition for immediate use, as each is tightly inclosedin its own chamber or compartment.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. The combination, with the bodyof the box and the guide-frames secured upon the sides thereof andhaving longitudinal slots, of the cover provided with side arms havingpivotal pins at their ends, the said pivotal pins working in thelongitudinal slots in the guideframes,and the arms of the cover beingbetween the guide-frame and the side of the box, substantially asspecified.

2. The combination of the body of the box, the guide frames secured uponthe sides thereof, having the longitudinal slots and the cutawayportions at their upper ends,and the cover having the side arms providedwith pivotal pins at their ends, the said pivotal pins working in theslots in the guide-frames, and the said arms resting on the cut-awayportions of the guide-frames when the lid is swung from off the body,substantially as specified.

The herein-described box, having the body A,divided by thepartitions aand a into the compartments B, G, and D, the cap I) on In testimony thatI claim the foregoing as the lower end of said body, the cover (1, promyown I have hereto afiixed my signature in vided with the straps or armsE, having the presence of two witnesses.

pivotal pins e,and the guide-frames F, secured JOHN HARGRAVES. 5 to thesides of the body and provided with Witnesses:

the guide-slots f f, all combined and arranged H. B. DAVIS,

substantially as and for the purpose specified. JAMES JAHN.

